1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a remote control system and, more particularly, to a remote control system using a mobile communication network, for reading utility meters.
2. Description of the Background Art
A conventional method for reading a utility (e.g., power, water, gas, etc.) meter is for a meterman of the utility company to visit a subscriber meter, and to record and compute meterage indicated at the meter. This method is susceptible to human error.
Thus, instead of the manual meter reading method by the meterman, one solution to the problem proposes a method of automatically uploading a meterage of the meter through a cable network. But this method preconditions that a dedicated line and a cable network should be installed in each subscriber's household nationwide. This can be very expensive.
There has also been proposed a method of using a mobile metering information collecting terminal. In this method, the meterman reads an electricity meter of each subscriber and stores the obtained information (or data) in a mobile terminal, and then, when the meter-reading operation is completed, the meterman connects the metering information collecting terminal to a computation network of the utility company and transfers the collected metering information to a central operating server thereof.
FIG. 1 illustrates a radio meter reading system in accordance with the conventional art. As shown in FIG. 1, the conventional radio meter reading system includes a meter reading system 100 for wirelessly sending metering information of each subscriber; and a metering information collecting terminal 140 carried by the meterman for recording the wirelessly sent information of the meter reading system 100.
The meter reading system 100 includes a meter reading circuit 110 for converting meterage of various meters such as an electricity meter, a water meter, a gas meter and the like into a digital signal; a meter reading processor 120 for processing the digitalized metering information to usable data; and a communication module 130 for processing the data suitable for a radio frequency (RF) transmission and transferring it.
When the meter reading circuit 110 measures the utility use for a subscriber, the meter reading circuit 110 converts the measurement into a digital signal. Then, the meter reading processor 120 processes information such as an ID of the subscriber, a meterage and a metering time to usable data. Then, the communication module 130 converts the processed data into a signal suitable for a radio transmission, and transmits the converted signal.
While visiting a subscriber, the meterman manipulates the meter reading system 100, receives measurement information of the meter reading system 100 by the mobile terminal 140, and stores the measurement information. When the metering operation in the subscriber is completed, the meterman connects the metering information collecting terminal 140 to a computational network of the utility provider and transfers the collected metering information to the central operating server 150.
Unfortunately, the conventional art is disadvantageous in that the meterman needs to visit the subscriber personally, and in case of using the cable network, much expense is incurred in installing and maintaining the cable network.